Combined tracking, transposing, and sustaining mechanism.



e. B. TF-AVIANO. COMBINED TRACKING, TRANSPOSING, AND SUSTAINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1915.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

3 SHEETS-'SHEET1.

I I N V E IV TUB @0067/7/7/ E Ofiau/a n 0 A? p By I ATTORNEY e. B. OTTAVIANO. COMBINED TRACKING, TRANSPOSING, AND SUSTAINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1915.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOI? s. B. OTTAVIANO'. COMBINED TRACK'ING, TRANSPOSING, AND SUSTAINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1915- 1,293,179. Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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E V K A I INVENTOR 77000/1/1/3 @ficu/ana AML, L-

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UNITED STATS ra ns. ornron.

Giovann B. omTAvIAn'o, or new ronK, N. ASSIGNOR TO AMER-IO v ACTION COMPANY, a oonrona'rron or wnsr VIRGINIA.

ooivnstnnn TRACKING, TRANSPOSING, Ann sosra nms MECHANisM.

Y Specification ofLetters Patent. p t fi 4, 191g Application filed July 20, 1915. Serial No. 40.878.

7; dZlu hom it may concern 1 Be it fknom; that I, GIOYANNI B. OTTA- VIANO, a subject of the King of Italy, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Combined Tracking.

Transposing. and Sustaining h'lechanism, of

which the following is a specification.

In piano players an opening for sustaining deslred notes or otherwise controlling the accent to be given to such notes is some times provided in the. tracker bar ust beof air causes the operation of pneumatic mechanism of aknown type to operate the usual damper or other aocenting means. When the series of perforations in the sheet terminate the margin of the sheetcloses the accent-controlling opening in the tracker bar and the accent means returns to its ordinary position. 'The present inventionpio' vides a mechanism whereby a combination of eiiects is achieved, First, the note sheet is caused to track correctly, that is to travel with. its note perforations registering accurately with the note openings in the tracker bar. vided by which the sheet may be caused to *travel in a line to the rightor to the left of what we may callthe normal position, so that its perforations will register with note openings in the tracker to the right or to theleft of those with which they were intended to, register and thus will play the musicxin a higher or in a lower key. iind third. an accent controlling device is pro-v vided; and the parts are so designed and arranged that for a variety of keys the apiaratuswill continue to track perfectly and to accent the notes as desired. the relations between the several mechanisms being adjustable so that for all keys within the range Second, a .transposing device is pro-- The accompanying drawings illustrate with the parts in normalposition, that so as to play themusic in the key forwhioh the sheet has been perforated; U

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing the pa-rts adjusted so as to play the music in a key one note higher than the normal and two notes higher than the normal re spectively Fig. a is a similar view showing the parts ad usted to play in the normal key, with dotted line lower keys;

Figs. 5, .6 and 7 are similar views showing the parts adjusted for one, two and 'three notes below the normal respectively;

8 is a rear elevation of the principal parts of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a section through the right hand end of the tracker bar parallel to the face thereof;

indications of adjustments to- AN PLAYER...

Fig. 10 is a, front elevation of another style of mechanism which is similar in construction but has not the range of adjustment of the mechanism sho n in Fig.1;

Fig. 11 is a-rear elevation of the tracker bar of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of the right hand end of this tracker bar. on a plane parallel with the face thereof.

Referring to the embodiment of the in-' vention illustrated. the tracking mechanism operates on the principle described in the iurney application for Patent No. 695.511.

tiled May (3th. 1912, no claims being made herein to the tracking mechanism except in combination with otherfeatures of the present apparatus.

The tracker bar comprises a note member A having openings as in the ordinary sim: ple tracker bar for causing the striking of notes as they register with the perforations in the note sheet, a tracking-control portion B and an accent-controlling portion C. During the playing of a piece of music these portions of the tracker bar remain in a de' termined position relative to each other and are all automatically ad uSte-d slightly to the right or to the left as the sheet runs out of line to the right or to the leftso as to' preserve the correct registration of the note ing the tracker bar. \Vhile prefer to use. the tracking mechanism illustrated it may perforations in the sheet with the note openings of the portion A of the tracker bar. The tracking mechanism in the construction illustrated effects an automatic movement 'of the tracker .bar to accommodate lateral variations of the sheet; but there are numerous mechanisms known for securing the same result by shifting the sheetto the. right or tothe left as the occasion requires, and there are other known mechanisms for shiftbesubstituted byany other usual or suitable mechanism for accomplishing this purpose.

The tracking-control portion 'B of the tracker has a small opening D communicating by a tube E with a tracking-control bellows or pneumatic comprising a fixed board or plate F and a movable board or plate G. This pneumatic communicates through a bleed ope'ningH with a tube J which runsdirectly to the wind chest orf-vacuum in which there is always a suction during the V playingof a piece of'musit l The trackingcontrol portion B of the tracker is fastened to a rod K which runs along the back of the tracker bar ahd has on its opposite end an adjustable end piece L which bears against an arm M projecting laterally and forwardly from the movable board of the bellows, to which it .is attached. "The end piece L provides an adjustable shoulder on the rod K and aspring N is arranged between this shoulder and the left hand member O of the spool box or frame in which these parts are mounted. The right hand member of the spool box is indicated at'P and it will be understood that the'music roll and the winding-on'roll are carried in the spool box above and below the tracker bar respectively so that the sheet Qis fed downward from the music roll on to the winding-on roll and passes closely over the face of the tracker bar.

During the playlng of a piece of music the right hand edge of the DOLQ sheet par tially overlaps the tracking-control opening D, leaving a small portion thereof uncov' ered. Air is, therefore, admitted through the opening D into the bellows F, G, and at the same time is sucked out of the bellows through the bleed opening H. In the normal running of the sheet the covered area of the opening D is just equal to the area of the bleed opening H; If the" sheet shifts to the right, reducingthe uncovered area of the guide-opening D, the suctionin thebellows will increase and the latter will be collapsed sufiiciently to press the rod l\ and, the portion B of the tracker bar to the rightso as to uncover a greater portion of the gu1de-open1ng and thus hold the tracker bar in correct position relative to the sheet.

If the sheet shifts to .the left air Willbe admitted through the opening D into the bellows faster than t is being exhausted.therefrom, the suctiontherein will be reduced and the spring X will shift the rod K to the left and with it theportiqn B of the tracker bar, and so on. The'left hand end of the tracker bar passes through the side. 0 of the spool box. The-right hand -end is provided with pinsR passing through the side of the spool box; the I tracker being adapted to slide thus to the right onto the left under the influence of the pneuinatic and the spring N The note-member A of the tracker bar is arranged for adjustment to the right or to the left relative to the tracking-cgntrol per-- tion B. For this'purpose it carries a rod S "control portion B. Assuming the line of travel of the note .sheet to be fixed. as is practically the ,case, and the portion'B of. the tracker to be- ;l- Jfixed because of the-relation of the guide-opening D to the edge of.

the sheet, the turning of the nut C may be made to shift the note member A; of the tracker a distance of any desired number of note-openings to, the right. or to the left so as to bring'the note-openingswhich are lower or higher in the scale into register with determined 'note perforations in the sheet and thus cause the playing, of .the

music in a. .lower'ora higher key, as 'de sired. A scale V is marked onthe portion B of the tracker bar' and ajwinter V is fixed to the portion A'and indicatesthe distance to which the latter to'beyadjusted to the right onto the left to raise or lower the key by oneor more notes,

Theaccent-controlling,portion' C ofthe' tracker bar has an opening X which communlcates at the back wJth -a"tube leading to the damper-hftmg mechanism as usual or. to any usual or suitable acc nt-controlling mechanism. On the face of't e tracker bar the opening is made of such a width that' it will underlie the line of the accent: controlling perforatlons Y in'the sheet-1n any -one of three different lateral positions corre'sponding to three different keys forthe music'..' Fig. 1 indicates-one such position in full lines and two others in dotted lines. Fig. 2 indicates the-position when the part. A of the tracker iss'hifted?one step to the.

left to raise the key of the music onenote and Fig. 3 indicates the position for a raise of two notes. The length ofeach step through which the parts are shifted is subinglv located.

stantiallyequal' to'the distance between centers otadjaeentnoteopenings in the tracker bar. There is a limit to the length which may be giventhebpening X and the range width of the margin of the paper from the lowest note perforation Z to the edge of the sheet. The "accent-controlling perforations Y should bein. aboutv the middle of the marginso that in one extreme position (F ig.

'1) the lowest note perforation-will clear the right hand iend'ot' the opening X so as to avoid-unintentional operation of the accenting device and in the opposite extreme position (Fig. ,3) the edge of the sheet will clear the let't hand end of the opening X: and consequently the length of the opening X cannot be'greater than about one-half the width of the margin of the sheet. This with she'etsof the'presentstandard allows for playing the music in three keys.

In the mechanism of Figs. 1 to 9. however, means are provided by which this limit is doubled. A change of key is permitted by moving the note-controlling portion A of the tracker bar relatively to the ttCCQDt-COI1 trolling portion C. This movement alone may be provided. the portion C beingfixed. and will permit transposition through a greater range. The range of adjustment in tact is limited only hv'the total width or" the sheet and the consequent distance between the part B and the guidebpening D at one side and the part C and the. opening X at the other side; and X. being-fixed and not necessarily larger than the perforations Y, might be near-the edge of the sheet. the line'of the perforations Y being correspond- But in using'note sheets now on the market. with accent-controlling perforations Y in about the middle of the margin. the greatest range of transposition is secured by combining the two systems above described; making the portion C of the tracker bar movable with the note portion A when the latter is shifted in one direction from a determined position and holding the portion stationary when the portion A is moved in the opposite direction t'roni' said position. The star-tin; position is shown'on the scale V by a heavy line \Vhen the pointer is shifted to the left of this starting line the kev is raised and it may be ra'sed one or two notes. When the pointer shifted to the right of the line r! the kevis lowered one. two or' three notes. 'lhns a range of six notes is secured.

lo'secure thi result the accent controlline poi'tionl' is made to t'ollow the note portion A'in its movements to the left from the starting POSitidn.lF1g. 1, as explained:

but during a movement or the not-e portion A to the right of the starting position the sustaining portion C is unmoved. This operation is secured by arranging a sliding connection between the parts A and C. by means of the rod K and a rod 7) both ii-xed to the part A and sliding through tubular portions of the part C. by locating a spring 1/ on the rod 71 pressing atone end against a collar 6 on said rod and at the opposite end against a shoulder on the part C. and by providing a stop pin f on the part C adapted to bear against the outer face of the fixed side member O of the spool box..- A stop pin 9 is also provided on the part'C adapted to strike the inner face of the side member '0 to prevent over adjustment to the left which would bringithe opening X beyond the edge of the note sheet.

Fig. lshows in .t'ull lines the parts at the starting point and in dotted lines the successi 'e positions of adjustment for lower keys. and Figs. 5. a and 7 show respectively the positions for keys one. two and three notes lower than the startingpoint. Further adjustment in this direction is prevented by the end of thc note portion A of the tracker bar striking the tracking portion B.

Figs. 10. 11' and 12 show a construction in which the note portion A and the accentcontrolling portion t are not separatel v movable. Inthis case the range of adjn.-t-' ment is only three notes. that is one note above or one note below an assumed starting point. An indicating scale is shown in 10 marked on th portion C of the tracker bar and utilizing the left hand edge of the paper a a pointer: the startingline ot' the scale being covered and the extreme left hand line being in register with the edge of the sheet. the note portion of the tracker bar is shifted to the left from this position the central line 11 ot' the t'llll will first be exposed and then the right hand line. In other respect the construction is the same as that of Figs. 1 to 9. omitting" only the yielding connectionbetween the parts A and C: the details being ll0WI] in Figs. 11 and 12.

In manv machines there is no automatic correcting ot' lateral deviations in the line of travel of the sheer, dcpcndcnce being had upon accurate workmanship alone to in ure straight running of thc shcct. ln l1 lIl ill invention in such lllilt'lllllt. the pneumatic corrcctimgmechanism shown at the left of Fig. 1 would be dispensed with. and the member B would be fixed and would be a tracking member in thc sense of dcterminin; an accurate regi tration of the note perforation. in the sheet with desired note openings in the member A. but would not correct;

accidental lateral deviations of the sheet' from the true line of travel In the previous Turney application for an automatic tracking device above referred to. as well as in Turney Patent No. 1,056.858 of ,March 25, 1913, fr a similar automatic tracking device. the adjustable tracking member shown was used only to adjust the relationof the tracker to the sheet for such 7 slight differences as are found between different note sheets or as are .found at different times and under different atmosthe relative lateral position of the note openings in the tracker by distances equal to one or more notes so as to transpose the key; and to provide a scale by which the extent of the transposition could be measured.

Though I have referred to the parts l3- and C as portions of the tracker bar yet it is chiefly for simplicity of construction that they are arranged as continuationsof the note portion A. They may be arranged at other points in the line of travel of the sheet and either of them may be located at either side, or they may both be arranged on the same side. Though I have assumed a fixed line of travel forthe note sheet and have explained the operation on that assumption,

yet it will be understoodthat only relative lateral movement between the perforations in the sheet and the openings of the tracker bar is required in order to transpose the key, and this may be secured by shifting the note portion of the tracker bar as described or by reversing the parts and shifting the sheet as in many known automatic tracking mechanisms. And though I have described with great particularity of detail certain specific embodiment of my invention, yet-various other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art and various parts thereof may be utilized in other combinations than those described without departing from the invention.

What I claim is I 1. A player for pianos or the like ing in combination a note member having openings for causing the striking of thenotes as perforations in a note sheet-register with such openings, an accent controlinclud- .ling member having an opening 'for controlling the accent of the notes as perforations in the sheet register with said opening. means for effecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note member and accent-controlling men1-' her. said accent-controlling opening being large enough to register with the corresponding perforations in the sheet n a plurality of such relative lateral posltions.

2. A player for pianos or the like including in combination a note member having. openings for causing the striking of the notes as perforations in a note sheetregister with such openings, an accent controlling member having an opening for controlling the accent of the notes as perforations in the sheet register with said opening,

means for efi'ectinga relative adjustment notes as perforations in a note sheet register with such openings, an accent controlling member having an opening for controllin the accent of thenotes as perforations in '90 the sheet register with said opening, means for effecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note member and accent-controlling member in one direction, said accent-controlling opening being large enough to register witi the corresponding perforations in the sheet in a plurality of such relative lateral positions, and means for e'flecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note member alone in the oppositedirection.-

l. A player for pianos or the like including in combination a note member having openings for causing the striking of the notes as perforations in 'a note sheet register with such openings, an accent-controlling member having an opening. for controlling the accent of the notes as perfora tions in the sheet register with said opening, means for effecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note member and accent-controlling member in one direction, said accent-controlling opening being large enough to register with the corresponding perforations in the sheet in a plurality of such. relative lateral positions, means for effecting a relative adjust ment laterally between the sheet and said note member alone in the opposite direction and means for automatically correcting ac- 1'20 cidental lateral deviations of the sheet relative to said note openings.

5. A player for pianos or the like having a tracker bar comprising the following members, namely, a-note portion having openings for causing the striking of the notes as they register with perforations in a note sheet and an accent-controlling portion having an opening for controlling the accent of the notes as it re isters with permeagre m forations in the sheet, combination with means for GfiQCilZlg a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet on the one hand and said note portion and accent-controlling portion together on the other hand to transpose the key of the music;

6. A' player for pianos or the like having a tracker bar comprising the following members, namely, a note portion having openings for causing the striking of the notes as they register with perforations in a notesheet and an accent-controlling portion having an opening for controlling the accent of the notes as it registers with perforations in the sheet, in combination with means for efiecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note portion and accent-controlling portion together to transpose the key of the music in one direction .and means for effecting a similar-adjustment of the note portion alone in the opposite direction.

7. A player for pianos or the like having a tracker bar comprising the following members, namely, a note portion having openings for causing the striking of the notes as they register with perforations in a note sheet. a tracking portion carrying means for eilecting a relative adjustment laterally between the sheet and said note portion to transpose the key of the music and an accent-controlling portion having an opening for controlling the accent of the notes it registers with perforations in the sheet, in combination with means controlled through said tracking portion of the tracker bar for automatically correcting lateral deviations of the sheet relative to said note open ings.

S. A player for pianos or the like having a tracker bar comprising the following 1nembers. namely, a note portion A. a tracking portion B, and an accent-controlling portion C. said note portion A being adjustable laterally toward and from said tracking por tion B, a spring pressing said portion C against said portion A so that the two move toge her-through a portion of the rangeof such adjustment, and a stop for holding the portion C against movement with the portion A during the remaining portion of such range. v

9. A player for pianos or the like having a tracker bar comprising the following members, namely, a note portion A, a tracking portion B. and an acccnt-controlling portion said note portion A being adjustable laterally toward and from said tracking portion B, a spring pressing said portion C against said portion A so that the two move together through a portion of the range of such adjustment, and a stop for holding the portion C against movement with the por tion A durin the remaining portion of such range, and pneumatic mechanism controlled in accordance with the lateral relation of said sheet to said tracking member for correcting lateral deviations of the sheet from its intended line of travel.

10. In a combination. a tracker-bar. noteshcet feeding rollers. means for automatically shiftingthe tracker bar relatively to the note-sheet rollers to aline the perforations in the note-sheet with the openings in the tracker-bar, ablock at one end of the tracker-bar provided with a guide-opening covered and uncovered by the edge portion of the note-sheet for controlling the opera tion of the automatic shifting means. and manually operated means for adjusting-the block to different positions spaced apart from each other equal to the distance sepa *ating openings in the tracker-bar, whereby the tracker-bar and note-sheet are automatically shifted relatively to each-other to an extent sutticient to produce transposition into different keys.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

GIOYAXNI B. ()TTAVIAXO. 

